Search Results (4)

Sliding-mode control (SMC) is a robust technique used in power electronics (PE) for controlling the behavior of power converters. This paper presents simulations and experimental results of an optimal SMC strategy applied to Semi-Bridgeless Boost Converters (SBBC), which includes Power Factor Correction (PFC). As the main contribution, the optimal coefficients of the SMC strategy are obtained using two metaheuristic approaches, namely the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The main objective is to obtain the sliding coefficients that ensure the best converter response in terms of the input current and output voltage, both during start-up and under disturbances (including changes in load, source, and references). The fitness function to be minimized includes two coefficients, namely the Integrative Absolute Error (IAE) and the Integral Time Absolute Error (ITAE), for both the input current and output voltage. These coefficients measure the converter’s effort to follow the control references. The IAE penalizes errors during start-up, whereas the ITAE penalizes errors in the steady state. The tests carried out demonstrated the effectiveness of the GA and PSO techniques in the optimization process; nonetheless, the GA outperformed the PSO approach, providing sliding coefficients that allowed for a reduction in the input current overshoot during start-up of up to 24.15% and a reduction in the setting time of the output voltage of up to 99%. The experimental results were very similar when tuning with the GA and PSO techniques; nevertheless, tuning with the GA technique produced a better response in the face of disturbances compared to the PSO technique. Full article

Electric vehicles (EVs) are set to become one of the domestic transportation systems that are highly preferred over conventional vehicles. Due to the huge demand for and cost of fuel, many people are switching over to EVs. Companies such as Tesla, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes have started marketing EVs. These EVs need charging stations to charge the batteries. The challenges for EV batteries require the implementation of features such as fast charging, long-run utilization, reduced heat emission, a light weight, and a small size. However, fast charging using conventional converters generates an imbalance in current injection due to the passive component selection. In this study, a converter is proposed that uses an interleaved network that provides a balanced current injection; i.e., an improved interleaved phase-shifted semi-bridgeless boost converter (IIPSSBBC) is designed for EV battery charging applications. The suggested approach is mathematically designed using MATLAB/Simulink (2021) software. The result shows that the battery charging current achieves about 16.5 A, which is relatively more than conventional systems. Moreover, the charging time of the proposed converter is about 6 hrs for a 50 Ah battery with a discharge load capacity of 5000 W, which is relatively less than the conventional method. In a nutshell, compared with conventional converters, the IIPSSBBC performs better, and, notably, the charging speed and current injection are increased by two times the amount. Further, a prototype hardware model is developed to assess the performance of the proposed converter. Full article

Power Factor Correction (PFC) single-phase AC/DC converters are used in several power electronics applications as full wave control rectifiers improving power quality and providing high standards of efficiency. Many papers dealing with the description or use of such topologies have been published in recent years; however, a review that describes and organizes their specific details has not been reported in the technical literature. Therefore, this paper presents an extensive review of PFC single-phase AC/DC converters operating with the Boost converter topology for low and medium voltage as well as and power appliances. A categorization of bridge, semi-bridgeless, and bridgeless, in accordance with the construction characteristics, was carried out in order to unify the technical terminology. Benefits and disadvantages are described and analyzed in detail. Furthermore, a comparison performance in terms of PFC, Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), power capacity, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), number of elements, and efficiency is included. Full article

This paper proposes a new sliding surface for controlling a Semi-Bridgeless Boost Converter (SBBC) which simultaneously performs Power Factor Correction (PFC) and DC bus regulation. The proposed sliding surface is composed of three terms: First, a normalized DC voltage error term controls the DC bus and rejects DC voltage disturbances. In this case, the normalization was performed for increasing system robustness during start-up and large disturbances. Second, an AC current error term implements a PFC scheme and guarantees fast current stabilization during disturbances. Third, an integral of the AC current error term increases stability of the overall system. In addition, an Adaptive Hysteresis Band (AHB) is implemented for keeping the switching frequency constant and reducing the distortion in zero crossings. Previous papers usually include the first and/or the second terms of the proposed sliding surface, and none consider the AHB. To be best of the author’s knowledge, the proposed Sliding Mode Control (SMC) is the first control strategy for SBBCs that does not require a cascade PI or a hybrid PI-Sliding Mode Control (PI-SMC) for simultaneously controlling AC voltage and DC current, which gives the best dynamic behavior removing DC overvoltages and responding fast to DC voltage changes or DC load current perturbations. Several simulations were carried out to compare the performance of the proposed surface with a cascade PI control, a hybrid PI-SMC and the proposed SMC. Furthermore, a stability analysis of the proposed surface in start-up and under large perturbations was performed. Experimental results for PI-SMC and SMC implemented in a SBBC prototype are also presented. Full article